Amour & amnésie

Okay, so "50 First Dates" is mostly silly, but they do a good job with it. Honolulu veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) falls for Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), only to find out that, due to an accident, her memory only lasts one day, so she won't remember him the next day! How will Henry cope with this? The movie gravitates between goofy and sensitive, but never gets mind-numbing; Adam Sandler always has something up his sleeve, and he and Barrymore have a great time with the material. As is often the case in Adam Sandler's movies, one of the characters is an embarrassment to everyone else (in this case, it's Rob Schneider as Henry's whacked-out friend Ula). Great fun.

Oh, and one more thing: don't watch "50 First Dates" if you haven't seen "The Sixth Sense" first.

This is quite simply a very enjoyable film. It's not, perhaps, a great film, but it is fun and it left me feeling pleasantly content. Basically this is a romantic comedy about a man (Henry) and a woman (Lucy) who meet and fall in love, there is just one problem: Lucy won't remember, tomorrow.

It is easy to pick holes in films and yes there are things wrong with this film:-

• The first 5 to 10 minutes do seem a little out of place: I understand the need to set the scene, but couldn't help feeling that the pace and characterisations didn't quite fit with what was to come.

• Some of the characters take away from the story: Doug (Sean Astin) is a little over done and comes across as more damaged than his sister. Perhaps the worst, though, is Henry's female (?) assistant: this character was a mistake and did not belong in the film.

In the end, these flaws don't matter: the film is enjoyable and that is what counts.

The plot, even if somewhat contrived, is clever and in the context of the film believable: there is a good beginning, middle and surprisingly satisfying end. Some of the difficult aspects of the film are not ignored but properly dealt with. Clearly it is easy to read a sordid side into the idea of a man meeting a beautiful woman each day in the knowledge that she will forget everything and they can start again tomorrow. This is covered and Henry is asked some pointed questions; without giving anything away, his answers worked and leave us, the audience, able to enjoy the film, without any unpleasant nagging doubts or feelings of guilt.

Don't analyse or pick holes; just watch this film. Chances are very good that you will enjoy it. It is a fantasy a bit of escapism: a first rate piece of entertainment and hopefully it will leave you, as it did me, feeling pleasantly content.

This is an excellent movie-I enjoyed every moment of it. The dialogue is sharp, the events unfold nicely, and the ending ties everything together. In short, this is a movie that deserves to be remembered.

Sure, there are a few missteps, like the scenes that *could've* been funny (the penguin scene, for example). But the Hispanic character really stood out; his presence added a lot to the film.

Bottom line: give this movie a shot. It's both hilarious and fantastic.

Henry Roth is a man afraid of commitment up until he meets the beautiful Lucy. They hit it off and Henry think he's finally found the girl of his dreams, until he discovers she has short-term memory loss and forgets him the very next day.

At first, I just liked some of the usual humor: the use of spam to make me believe we were really in Hawaii. And also Rob Schneider, who is often the funniest person in Sandler's films. (He is still good here, though perhaps not at his best.)

I was pleasantly surprised that amidst the stupid humor was an actual story about love and the growing bond of two people. There could have been a variety of "Groundhog Day" jokes. And indeed, there were some. But the character Sandler plays is actually quite sweet. Who knew?

Not being an Adam Sandler fan, we avoided this film when it was released earlier last year. The premise sounded too much like "Groundhog Day". We took a chance the other night when it was shown on cable, and frankly, we found the movie entertaining. There are more laughs in this than in another, perhaps more pretentious picture, "Punch Drunk Love".

Drew Barrymore and Mr. Sandler had worked together before to surprisingly good results. They show an easy chemistry between them that serves the movie well. The idea of making Adam Sandler an aquarium doctor offers a lot of possibilities; his scenes with the walrus are hilarious.

The supporting cast plays well together. A surprise was Rob Schneider, not one of my favorite actors, either, but in here, under the direction of Peter Segal, he delivers. Sean Astin, as the lisping brother on steroids is quite effective, as well as Blake Clark, as Lucy's father. Dan Aykroyd puts an appearance as the doctor who treats the young woman who has lost her long term memory.

Watch it without any preconceptions, as probably it will surprise you.